1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measuring device for children. More specifically it relates to a height recording board for recording the height of multiple growing individuals over a period of time.
The growth of a child is a special occurrence to many parents and caregivers. Parents often desire to keep track of their child's growth progress over time so that they may see how much the child has grown. Children also enjoy comparing their growth with other members of a family, particularly with other children. Having a record of their children's growth over the years can be an important and valuable keepsake for many parents. In the past, parents would designate an area of a wall for marking children's growth. The children would be placed with their backs against the wall and a marking would be made at the crown of each child's head. Names and dates may be added to keep track of each child's progress. Maintaining growth records in this way can be difficult in today's highly mobile society. Families often move to new homes due to change in employment of the parents, transfer of job position to a new location or simply because the family needs more space. When the family moves, the growth recordings made on a wall are left behind. A portable device is needed that assists a family with maintaining growth records of multiple individuals over a time period, and permits the assembly to be moved from one location to another if required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art contains a variety of height recording devices for providing visual record of a person's height over time. These devices have familiar design and structural elements for the purposes of recording an individual's growth; however they are not adapted for the task of recording multiple names or notations at a given height location. This is a requirement for extended notes or for those with larger families wherein multiple entries are required to encompass all children on one board. They further do not provide a device that is easily transported from one location to another, which allows a user to retain recorded entries if required to move.
Runge et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,216,884 discloses a height measurement board for a child comprising a graduated board and a sliding height member. Longitudinal grooves extend on opposing sides of the graduated board member. These longitudinal grooves extend from the top of the board to a lower portion of the same. The slideable height member is secured to the graduated board within the longitudinal grooves and slides upwards and downwards within said grooves. When the height member is not in use it can be slid downward to the bottom of the board where it will lay flat in alignment with the board. The device does not include a separate slideable member secured between the board and the height member. The height member of Runge does not include a magnet that secures the height member in an upright position. Furthermore the graduated portion of Runge extends across the front surface of the graduate board and the device does not have non-graduated side portions, thus making it difficult for a user to record information on the surface of the device. Runge is therefore not suited for the purpose of recordation of a plurality of dates on the surface of the device.
Lund, U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,585 discloses a stadiometer device having an upright rail, a slide member, a height measuring arm, and a scale. The upright rail has a dovetail channel and two side portions disposed on either side of the same. A measuring scale is disposed on both sides of the dovetail channel, the first side having English measurements and the second side having metric measurements. The slide member is movably secured to the dovetail channel such that the slide may move up and down the upright rail. The height measuring arm is secured to the slide by a holder means. This height measurement arm extends outward from the upright rail and contains a transparent portion with a horizontal marking, to allow a user to read the scale through the transparent portion. The height measurement arm is not hinged to fold upwards and be removably retained in that position. The upright rail of Lund does not contemplate side portions that have extraneous area not covered by measuring scales for making written recordings. The device of Lund is suited for use in Doctors offices but not for the purpose of the present invention. Lund does not disclose a side portion having an area that a user can record dates on.
Bergstedt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,702 discloses a growth measuring device comprising an elongated measuring stick and a height measuring means that is removably mountable to said elongated stick. The elongated stick consists of a plurality of stick elements that may be removably secured in an end-to-end configuration as needed for measuring the height of a child. The elongated stick member removably secures to a base stand that provides stability to the device while it is in use. An aperture is disposed along an upper portion of said elongated stick for removably securing the height measuring means. The height measuring means has an overall paddle shape and may be removed from the aperture in the elongated stick and moved up and down the same. The height measuring means can be screwed to the elongated stick to temporarily attach it while measurements are being taken. Stickers may be affixed to the sides of the elongated stick to mark the height of a child. There are no extended side portions having an area for a user to write dates and notations on. Additionally the paddle member of Bergstedt does not slide along the elongated stick, but must be removed and repositioned with each use.
Scully et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,996,553 discloses a device for measuring the height of a child comprising a rigid rod having a scale displayed on a face of the same, a marking means, and a portion for recording. The rigid rod has a groove for slideably connecting with the measuring means. A measuring scale is disposed to one side of the groove and an area is disposed adjoining the measuring scale to allow a user to write in notations and record heights measured. A measuring means is secured to the groove of the rigid rod and consists of a slide and an extending arm hingedly connected thereto. When the device is in use the extendable arm is lowered and the slide is moved vertically within the groove until the extendable arm rests on the crown of a child's head. The extendable arm folds upwards for storage when the device is not in use. Scully does not disclose a centrally disposed dovetail channel for the extendable arm to slide within. The present invention offers writing space on both sides of a central channel making it easy for users to record more than one name at the same height level. Scully does not disclose a device with multiple writing surfaces.
Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,212 discloses a height measuring device having an elongated panel adapted to be vertically secured to a wall, a vertically slideable head member having lateral flanges, and a head-measuring bar hingedly connected to said head member. The head-measuring bar has a vertical locked state and a horizontal working state. When a person's height is being measured, the head-measuring bar is lowered into its horizontal position and the head member is slid upward until the head-measuring bar is positioned atop a user's crown. A plurality of stickers, markers or pins is provided for placement on the elongated panel to record the height of individuals. The writing space of Allen is centrally disposed on the elongated member; there is no additional writing space on either side of the graduated portion. This lack of space makes it difficult to record multiple entries in one area on the device.
None of the prior art devices disclose writing surfaces disposed on both sides of a centrally positioned measuring means, which is necessary for extended note taking or for recording entries for multiple individuals on the same device. The devices disclosed by the prior art do not address the need for recording multiple names at a given height or providing space for additional information to be recorded thereon. The current invention relates to a device for allowing multiple names or recordings to be made at similar height levels on a height measuring board. It substantially diverges in structural elements from the prior art; consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to the height recording devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.